"The time has come to look beyond these players" - Saba Karim on Mohammed Shami being ruled out of ODI series between India and Bangladesh
Saba Karim has stated that India will have to rope in young fast bowlers, highlighting how senior pacers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have struggled with injuries lately.
During a discussion on India News Sports, Karim suggested that the team management should shift their focus towards youngsters.
The former keeper-batter emphasized the importance of having fitter seamers in the squad and explained:
"It is a big concern for India that their main fast bowlers are frequently getting injured. I believe the time has come to look beyond these players. We need to create a young brigade of fast bowlers.
"We need fitter bowlers who can bowl with more aggression and intensity. Once you pick four or five such youngsters, it is the job of the NCA, selectors, and the team management to handle them properly and monitor their fitness well."
Notably, Shami was set to feature in the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. However, the veteran fast bowler had to be ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
Indian pacers getting injured repeatedly has concerned several fans. The Men in Blue have had to play a number of important matches, including the Asia Cup 2022 and the T20 World Cup 2022 without their pace bowling spearhead Bumrah, who is yet to fully recover from his back injury.
It is worth mentioning that Rohit Sharma and Co. have not been able to form a settled bowling unit due to such injuries. Apart from the aforementioned names, Prasidh Krishna is also on the sidelines after picking up a back injury in September.
"There surely is some problem due to which suddenly so many Indian players have started getting injured" - Rajkumar Sharma
Addressing the same issue, Rajkumar Sharma, Virat Kohli's childhood coach, suggested that the team management has not been able to handle the workload of the fast bowlers well.
Sharma pointed out that the injuries have suddenly increased in the past year, and the side must find a way to overcome the issue. He elaborated:
"Why aren't we able to manage the workload of the fast bowlers? When you go back a year and a half, there weren't any such issues. There surely is some problem due to which suddenly so many India players have started getting injured."
Meanwhile, the Rohit Sharma-led side are set to play a three-match ODI series along with two Test matches in Bangladesh this month. The ODI series opener will be played at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday, December 4.
Umran Malik, 22, has replaced Shami in the squad for the 50-over matches in Bangladesh. There is still no confirmation regarding Shami's availability for the Test matches.
Also Read: "Important to groom him by giving him the chance to rub shoulders with senior members of the team" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on Umran Malik